Combined fire-hose bridge and car-wheel replacer.



0. c. HAMILTON. COMBINED FIRE HOSE BRIDGE AND CAR WHEEL REPLACER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17. 9 4- Patented Apr. 27. 1915.

CARL C. HAMILTON, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

COMBINED FIRE-HOSE BRIDGE AND CAB-WHEEL REPLACEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

Application filed August 17, 1914. Serial No. 857,028.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL C. HAMILTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Fire- Hose Bridges and Car-Wheel Replacers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the-invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention comprises a means for enabling cars to pass over tracks across which fire hose may be stretched and, also, for replacing a car wheel upon the track, which becomes displaced. In short, the invention comprises a fire hose bridge and car wheel replacer.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this type which is simple in construction, eflicient in operation and which may be carried on street-cars and thus be readily available.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device showing the same bridging a fire hose; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the specification and drawings, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be noted from Fig. 1 that I have shown two of the bridges in use; owing, however, to the fact that they are identical, it is only necessary to describe the structural feature of one. As thus illustrated, 1-1 represents the rails of a car track while 2 represents a fire hose crossing the same. To permit a car to pass over the hose without injury to the same, the two elevated arch members are provided. 3 represents vertical side walls of said arch inclosing a space in which the hose 2 lies. The walls 3 join in an arch above the hose and the space is suitable to permit the hose to pass therethrough unobstructed. Extending from the arch on each side of the center thereof is a curved top plate 4 which extends downwardly toward the ends thereof and the extreme ends of which lie approximately flush with the'rails 1. The top plate 4 is provided with a groove 5 which receives the flanges of the wheels of the car truck (not shown). When the device is in position, the outer edge 6 of the groove 5 alines with the inner edge of the rail. The groove 5, therefore, has the same tread as the rail. The top plate 4 is supported by the arch walls 3 and side walls 7 the latter extending throughout the length of the plate 4 from the walls 3. Une of the side plates or walls 7 is provided with a lateral flange 8 extending on either side and adapted to engage on one side the inner side of the rail 1, while the other side wall or plate 7 is provided with spurs 9 adapted to engage the brick paving 11, thereby holding the device in position on the track. The ends of the flange groove 5 are flared as at 12 to facilitate the wheel flanges entering said groove 5. The bridge may be connected by any well known means, such as distance struts to hold them at the proper distance according to the space between the rails. This element forms no part of the present invention and needs no further description.

To enable the bridges to be used as a wheel replacer, the curved top plate opposite the groove 5 on each side of the arch walls 3 are chamfered as at 10 thus giving them a tapered or inclined surface. To replace a car wheel on the track, the device is so placed that, when the wheel rides up the plate 4, it will slide off onto the track when it reaches the inclined or chamfered portion 10. The device is thus increased in its usefulness and may be easily carried about acar for ready use either to bridge a fire hose or replace a car wheel.

Having described my invention, I claim.

A device of the character described, com

prising a curved tread plate, centrally discurved tread plate, and means for holding posed vertical arch Walls inclosing a space said device in position. 7 10 adapted to receive a fire hose, and terminat- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature ing in an arch'which forms the central p01- in presence of tWO Witnesses.

tion of the curved tread late, the said CARL G. HAMILTON. curved tread plate being -provided With agroove adapted to receive the flange of a car 7 Wheel, and side plates supporting said 7 Witnesses:

J OHN W. KALBFUS, R. J. MCOARTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

